Mysty McPartland (8 page)

Even seeing how frightened she looked didn’t satisfy him, picking her up he roughly put her on her mare and turned away to mount his stallion. It was only then he noticed the red haired woman mounted on a horse, he spun back to his wife and scowled at her with heated rage. “What in the hell is she doing coming with us?”

Unable to stop herself from shaking over her husband’s anger and threat, Dalla glanced from him to her cousin. Defiantly she lifted her chin, and gave him a cold smile. “She is coming because she is my wedding gift to ye. I rather thought that ye would be pleased to have a willing woman in ye bed; one that ye have already sampled and enjoyed.”

Stunned,
he stared at her not quite believing what she just said to him and when it finally sunk in, such white hot indignation stormed through him and it took every ounce of control not to let it out. Turning away from her to the other woman, he let her see his loathing and disgust. “Ye may as well get of ye horse, ye willna be joining us.” His words were inflexible and chilling.

Lisa paled and turned to her cousin but seeing the defeat
in her eyes, knew that she would be staying behind. However, she would not be beaten; she promised herself that she would still have her revenge no matter what.

Through narrowed
, furious eyes, he watched the woman clumsily dismount, he swung up into his own saddle, reached out and grabbed his wife’s reins and pulling her horse alongside his, rode away. It was not until they were some distance from her home that he slowed the animals down and he gazed over at her then quickly glanced away not wanting her beauty to distract him.

“If ye think
for one moment that ye could have placed that bitch in my bed instead of yeself ye are very much mistaken. And as for what ye did to me last eve, ye have nay only ruined whatever future we could have had, but I’ll never ever trust ye again. Ye went too far, wench, and I will nay forget what ye did to me and dinna think that ye will go unpunished for ye wickedness.” He missed seeing the guilt and sadness that clouded her eyes as he started moving the horse into a faster pace.

Riddled with regret
as she listened to his furious chilling words, Dalla forced herself not to cry. She realized now that she went too far with her foolish plan. It was a terrible and childish thing she had done and it would not stop the inevitable, she was his wife and could bed her whenever he wanted.

Even if her cousin did come it
would not have stopped him, too late she understood that now. And because of her irrational act the rest of her life would be spent in misery and mistrust. It was a bleak future and, peeking at his cold stern face, realized it would be a very long time if ever that he would forgive her. With her shoulders sagging, she wished that Robert hadn’t been away and could have done something to stop the wedding.    

Well
, she would just have to accept that it was far too late for the man she loved to rescue her and for wishes. She would just have to face what she had done and the loveless, cold marriage that now lay ahead of her. As the day lengthened her misery increased and it was hard to keep the tears of desolation from falling and the wretchedness sinking into her soul.

Though he was determined not to pay any attentions to his wife, he couldn’t completely ignore her, every now and again he let his gaze sweep over her. Aye, she looked miserable and wretched and so the wench should. He was just too furious and afraid of what he might do to her if he so much as spoke to her.

Oh
aye, he was going to punish her, but he didn’t want to lay a hand on her. Never in his life had he ever struck a woman and even though he was tempted to strike her for what she had done, he wouldn’t.

He didn’t even know if he wanted to bed her anymore
, he felt so betrayed and disillusioned with her that all he wished now was that he never married her. Nevertheless, they were now husband and wife and before they reached home he was going have to decide how he was going to handle the marriage and her.

All day he contemplated the matter and he knew that what had transpired last eve
, it was a fact that he might never be able to forgive her for her evilness. What type of woman would so viciously and callously drug her husband on their wedding night? A malicious and cold-hearted one.

Rage simmered through him so black he could barely contain it. Even hours later, he could not dampen it down. It ate him
continuously; he knew though that he would have to find some way to contain it before they stopped for the evening. Because there was no doubt in his mind if he didn’t he would most assuredly regret his actions when he faced her.

Though he intended to punish her, he would do so privately. He drew in a harsh breath and tightened his jaw. She was also insane if she thought for one minute he would accept the red headed trollop replacing her in his head. It was ludicrous
. Out the corner of his eyes he spied Duncan approaching and sighing heavily waited for him to arrive and find out what was bothering his friend.

“Do ye nay think we should stop, Tarrel? Ye wife is about to fall from her saddle so worn out is she.”
Duncan’s gaze, shifted from his friends to Lady Dalla drooping in her saddle.

Letting out an
enraged grunt at the mention of the woman who he foolishly wed, he swung round and glared at the top of her head. He could see how exhausted she was, and knew that she could not go any further. Turning away, he searched for somewhere to stop. “We’ll camp for a few hours amongst the trees up ahead.”

A quick nod, Duncan slowed his horse so he fell
behind and rode just ahead of head of the men.

Without any other choice
he reached out and grasped hold of the reins to his wife’s mare. Pulling both animals to stop and, not even sparing her a glance, he swept his arm out, wrapped it around her waist, lifted her up and swung her down across his knees. Ignoring her outraged gasp, he nudged his stallion forward.

* * * *

.

S
tunned when she was abruptly lifted of her horse, Dalla gave a small shriek when she was roughly dropped on to her husband’s hard, unyielding thighs. Holding herself stiffly, she let out a sigh of relief when they finally stopped.

The moment he held the soft curves in his arms he knew it had been a mistake. He drew in a harsh breath and ground his teeth as the sweet soft scent wafted up from her skin. The wench was a witch, without even trying she was bewitching him and stirring his lust.

Grateful when she was lifted down and placed on the ground, she was about to take a step towards the trees when her legs started to tremble. A soft cry of distress left her when her knees started to buckle and having nothing to hold onto she fell kneeling in the dirt. She hung her head too weak and too sore to move.

Relieved when they reached their destination, he swung out of the saddle once he had lifted her down. He was about to take both horses for a drink, but stopped and a frown marred his brow when he heard the shocked gasps coming from his men. He turned, gazed around and growled when he noticed her kneeling on the ground. Tossing the reins of the animals to the nearest man, he moved over to her and lifted her to her feet.

“Ye are a
foolish wench and a damn nuisance.” He whispered harshly as he picked her up and carried her to the soft grass beneath a tree. Putting her down he refused to glance at her, so missed seeing the tears that ran down her cheeks as he rubbed her thighs and calves through her dress trying to ease her pain and regain circulation.

After a few minutes, he stopped and dared to gaze down at her face and cursed, he was swamped with guilt and he was held spellbound by her loveliness. Even with tears spilling down her cheeks, she was still the most exquisite woman he had ever seen.

With
out realizing it his arms came up and wrapped around her and drawing her close, he kissed her brow before he hugged her against him. It was at that moment that all the anger drained out of him and all he wanted to do was comfort her. He settled himself on the ground, placed her on his knee and tried to soothe her.

He grimaced when he glanced up and noticed not only Duncan, but all his men standing around and silently watching. He couldn’t help noticing that every one of them was bemused by her beauty and her tears. And it annoyed the hell out him that this affliction his wife caused was only going to become worse when they reached home.

It
would be a damned nuisance until they all stopped walking around like besotted fools. He could only hope it wouldn’t last too long and her beauty no longer addled all their brains. He snorted, the affliction better not continue for any length of time, they’d all probably end up daft it if did.

Chapter Nine

Never so glad to see his home than he was at that moment, Tarrel wanted to get away from his wife so he could take command of his emotions and find his strength of willpower that had deserted him. In all his years, he had never been so confused, one minute he was burning with rage, then the next he found himself drowning in guilt.

H
e wanted to comfort her and after that, he wanted to make love to her desperately and since that first night they stopped to camp it was all that consumed him. Bedding her had become the only thing he thought of, it obsessed him, whether he was awake or asleep, even punishing her for drugging him on their wedding night no longer mattered.

He didn’t know how it
happened; the only thing that counted at the moment was getting away from her so that he could regain control of himself. Cautiously he looked at her out of the corner of his eye and grumbled to himself when he saw the sorrow and wariness on her face. His hand gripped the reins tightly so he wouldn’t reach out and comfort her.

The blasted wench had somehow bewitched
him; cast some sort of spell over him so he was no long in command of himself or his emotions. Whatever curse she’d put on him, he was determined to break it. No woman would have him in her power and possess his thoughts or body. Be damned if they would.

Once he saw her settled in their bedchamber he would leave her and find a way to destroy
the spell she held over him. Only then would he finally give into the lust consuming him and take his bride to bed. He would keep her there until he was sated and then he intended to reprimand her for drugging him.

How he was going to punish her he had no idea yet, but
he would find something, some way to discipline her. Pleased at last seeing the gates open, he let a small smile play over his lips, he could well imagine his men’s reaction when they had their first glimpse of his wife.

It was going to take
some time for them to become used to her looks, even he hadn’t and that’s why he rarely glanced at her. The next few weeks were going to be hell until they all grew used to her beauty. Turning his head slightly, he saw her biting her bottom lip and his groin tightened.

H
e forced himself to lift his gaze and saw the worry and fear in the copper depths of her eyes. Turning away before his mind became befuddled, he sighed in annoyance when he forced himself not to reach over and found himself once more wanting to reassure her and take away her apprehension. He ground his teeth and rode through the gates.

A
nother quick peek at her, he scowled when he noticed her eyes were closed; now what was the blasted wench up to? He gave a shake of his head and turned away. He noticed the huge crowd gathered and waiting to see the laird return with his bride.

E
very one of them had prayed that she would be a worthy lady and when she rode across the drawbridge, he wasn’t in the least surprised they all fell silent as they stared in awe at their laird’s bonny bride. He scoffed. She might be bonny, but that was the only good thing about her and yet at the same time it was the most annoying.

Not in the least surprised wh
en the clan stood gaping, he swept the hushed, stunned crowd with aggravation. It did not astonish him in the least that every member of his clan stared awe-struck at his wife. He knew it would happen, but still it amazed him. Dismounting, he let his reins drop to the ground and moved to lift his wife down. He snarled when he saw the blush on her face and the confusion in her eyes.

Ignoring the desire burning through him, he wrapped his hands around her waist and swept her down from her horse. Quickly
letting her go,he grasped hold of her elbo
w
led her up the wide steps, and then turned; facing the crowd who were still speechless and staring at her. He could only shake his head in exasperation.

It took him by surprise when
she pressed herself against his side, he frowned and dropped his eyes and he could not help but notice that she was embarrassed and frightened. It seemed that she didn’t have a clue why everyone stood mute gaping at her. It astounded him that she didn’t realize it was because she looked so stunningly beautiful that it left everyone dumbfounded.